Paying Tuition, Fighting Ma Hongjun

Xiao Xian's face was a little pale. It took him a moment before he suppressed the urge to vomit.

Flender had definitely done it on purpose. Along the way, his speed had been utterly unpredictable, constantly alternating between acceleration, sudden stops, acceleration, instant deceleration, acceleration, and another deceleration.

His body had been like a ragged sack, grabbed and swung around in the air.

And whenever he circulated his Soul Power to adjust his posture, the flow of Soul Power would immediately be interrupted.

"This guy really is petty..."

Flender glanced at Xiao Xian. Seeing that he had recovered so quickly, a trace of surprise appeared in his eyes.

He had thought Xiao Xian would need at least a little longer.

"Come on. Let's find you somewhere to stay first."

"Then you can pay the tuition."

"There's no rush to start school. That's the day after tomorrow."

When they landed just now, they had already arrived inside this small village.

Scattered around the open space stood wooden houses of various sizes.

Flender merely walked a short distance forward, looked around, then pointed at one of the more secluded huts. "You'll stay here. The other rooms haven't been cleaned up yet. There's another student living in this one. You two can get to know each other later."

"You can also ask him about the academy."

"Settle in, then go pay Teacher Li at the village entrance."

"I have things to do, so that's it."

Flender casually patted Xiao Xian on the shoulder. With a flash, he vanished from where he stood.

Xiao Xian felt his shoulder sink. The somewhat chaotic Soul Power within him gradually calmed down. He glanced in the direction Flender had disappeared, silently withdrawing his assessment that the man was petty.

Xiao Xian walked to the little wooden house and pushed the door open.

Just as he had sensed, there was no one inside.

The hut was not large, barely more than a dozen square meters, yet it held two beds.

The one against the wall had bedding spread over it. The other was piled with miscellaneous items: seasonings, wooden skewers, and even several bags of charcoal.

With that, the identity of his other roommate was obvious.

Xiao Xian took out a mask from his Soul Tool and began tidying up.

Master had given him this mask, and Tang San had one too. There was no helping it—Master's martial soul's attacks were far too explosive, so they had to keep them on hand at all times.

"..."

After finishing up.

Xiao Xian sat on the only chair in the dormitory and took out a damp towel to wipe his hands.

"So this is Shrek Academy. I've joined it at last..."

"Now, I just have to wait step by step."

"Wait for Tang San to graduate next year... wait for the Third Spirit Ring... wait for Tang Hao..."

"After all, it'll be Tang San's first time traveling far from home after graduation. Tang Hao will definitely follow him."

When he graduated from Nuoding Academy, he had spent quite a bit of effort convincing Master not to come along.

If Master followed them, Tang San would very likely follow as well.

Finding another gap in timing then would be difficult.

Relying solely on Dragon-type Spirit Beasts, it would take far too long to complete Xiao Jue's bloodline.

Level forty, level fifty—perhaps even level seventy.

By then, it would be far too late.

After wiping his hands clean, Xiao Xian hung the towel to the side and took bedding out of his Storage Spirit Tool.

"..."

Creak—!

After closing the dormitory door, Xiao Xian checked his direction and headed toward the village entrance.

He needed to pay the tuition and familiarize himself with some people while he was at it.

Shrek Academy had rented a third of this small village for its school buildings and training ground.

Not to mention other intermediate and Advanced Soul Master Academies.

Even compared to Nuoding Junior Spirit Master Academy, the conditions here were far worse.

But Xiao Xian did not mind.

Dai Mubai had joined Shrek Academy at twelve with Soul Power at level twenty-five. When he met Tang San at fifteen, his Soul Power had reached level thirty-seven.

He had improved by eleven levels in three years, an average of 3.6 levels a year.

And that had even included both the Soul Grandmaster and Soul Elder stages.

It was faster than Tang San's progress during his Soul Grandmaster stage.

Yet Dai Mubai's talent was far inferior to Tang San's and Xiao Wu's.

Xiao Xian refused to believe this place had nothing special about it.

"..."

The village entrance was also the entrance to Shrek Academy.

At the moment, a long line had formed there, with around a hundred people. Most were twelve- or thirteen-year-old youths, and most had their parents with them.

At the very front of the line stood a wooden table. Behind it sat an old man in his sixties, looking listless and dressed very plainly.

Behind the old man sat a young man. He was extremely handsome, not much inferior to Xiao Xian, with long golden hair draping nearly to his waist. Most astonishing of all, he had double pupils.

These days were Shrek's registration period.

Originally, Xiao Xian would have had to slowly line up like everyone else and pass through each stage. Now, however, he had been spared the trouble.

Xiao Xian approached the crowd and respectfully said to the old man, "Teacher Li, Dean Flender told me to come pay the tuition."

"Mhm. One hundred Gold Soul Coins. Put them in the box over there," the old man replied lazily, glancing at Xiao Xian.

Of course, he had seen Flender streak across the sky, as well as Xiao Xian being grabbed and wildly flung around.

How miserable. He had obviously offended Boss Flender. Life would be rough for him from now on.

Xiao Xian took out one hundred Gold Soul Coins and obediently placed them into the box nailed together from several wooden planks beside the table. Nice. I saved ten Gold Soul Coins.

"Mu Bai, no need for you to idle around here either. I doubt anyone will pass anytime soon. Take him around and show him the place," the old man said calmly.

The moment those words were spoken, the parents and youths near the front of the line immediately became displeased, their expressions turning ugly.

But no one cared.

"Alright, Teacher Li." The golden-haired young man with Evil Eyes rose from behind the old man and said amicably, "Hello, junior. I'm Dai Mubai."

Xiao Xian also wore his familiar gentle smile.

"Hello, senior. I'm Xiao Xian."

As expected, my taste is perfectly normal. I really can't get used to those double pupils...

Xiao Xian silently thought.

"..."

Dai Mubai quickly took Xiao Xian around the academy. He met Oscar, who had a face full of beard and was pushing a barbecue cart selling sausages. He also met Ma Hongjun, whose Evil Fire had flared up beyond control and who was planning to borrow money from Dai Mubai. He heard that Ma Hongjun's girlfriend had broken up with him again, and he looked extremely impatient.

Dai Mubai helplessly rolled his eyes at him and gave him two Gold Soul Coins before returning to guard the village entrance.

Unfortunately, not a single new student joined by the end of the day.

In the afternoon, the people in line gradually dispersed.

Dai Mubai also went to Suotuo City, while Ma Hongjun had left long ago.

What they had gone to do was obvious.

Xiao Xian could only secretly sigh. Soul Power really was a wonderful thing—it could even promote physical development. After all, Ma Hongjun was only eleven...

Xiao Xian had become fairly familiar with Oscar.

After Oscar closed his stall that afternoon, the two spent most of their time talking. Once Xiao Xian had learned about Shrek's situation, he visited each of the other teachers in turn.

There was Zhao Wuji, the vice dean and also a Spirit Saint; Shao Xin, a Food System Spirit Saint; Lu Qibin, a Control System Spirit Emperor; and Li Yusong, an Assault System Spirit Emperor who was also responsible for finances.

Without exception, all of these teachers were listless.

Xiao Xian and Oscar ate a rather unappetizing dinner in the academy cafeteria.

Quite some time passed before the sky gradually darkened. Xiao Xian and Oscar had just returned to the dormitory and sat down when a series of clangs sounded outside.

Oscar hurriedly stood up. "The dean is calling us." He called Xiao Xian along with him and headed to the training ground.

Though it was called a training ground, it was actually the same open space where Xiao Xian had landed at noon.

No one was there.

A moment later, Flender appeared with an unpleasant expression, carrying Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai. He tossed them onto the ground.

Both of them looked somewhat dizzy and disoriented.

Ma Hongjun in particular was pale-faced, sprawled on the ground and vomiting nonstop.

Dai Mubai was much better off, recovering even faster than Xiao Xian had that morning.

Flender glared at Ma Hongjun, his eyes full of dissatisfaction.

Only after Ma Hongjun struggled to his feet and hurriedly stood at attention did Flender turn toward Xiao Xian and Oscar. "Xiao Xian, step forward."

"Yes, Dean!" Xiao Xian obediently took a step forward.

"See that little fatty? Go spar with him."